Mark 12:1-12
Monday of the Ninth week in Ordinary Time
I will offer up a decade of a rosary for a family member who is far from the faith.

by Fr Edward McIlmail, LC | Source: Catholic.net

Mark 12:1-12

Introductory Prayer:Lord, I come before you humbly. As one who has frequently fallen into sin, I am aware of my weakness. Your great love, though, assures me that your grace can keep me on the path to holiness.

Petition:Lord, let me be open to you and your messages.

1. Stand Corrected:Being corrected hurts. Being corrected in public hurts even more. And having one's whole way of life corrected — well, that really stings. And so it must have been for the group of leaders who approached Jesus. Our Lord, in a not-so-subtle way, tells them that they are wrong. Wrong about their self-righteousness, wrong about their narrow reading of Scripture, and wrong about how they think God works in the world. This blinded them to the Son of God when he came among them. We like to think we would have been different ― we would not have rejected Jesus, we tell ourselves. Are we so sure? Aren't we really like the leaders of Jesus' time when we fail to listen to his agents ― a bishop, a parish priest, a legitimate superior? Have I said no to Christ lately?

2. "Another Servant":God doesn't give up on us after one try. He often sends a number of messengers into our lives, to draw us closer to him. Such is the illogic of a Father's love. Where do we miss the clues that God sends us? It could be in something a child says; a line from a homily; an e-mail from a friend in crisis ― these are the ordinary means God uses to reach out to us. Old Testament prophets faced rejection by the people of God. Have things changed much? Could I be turning a deaf ear to a prophet?

3. "This Is the Heir":The tenant farmers don't seem very bright. They murder the son in order to get his inheritance. What father would give an inheritance to someone who killed his son? It doesn't make sense. Then again, sin doesn't make sense either. Many times we reject Christ in our life and then wonder why our prayers to God the Father go (seemingly) unanswered. What could we be thinking? How often do I offer up a sacrifice or an act of charity for a prayer intention?

Conversation with Christ:Let me live up to the demands of my faith, Lord. Let me realize that my dignity as a Christian demands that I try to live a life worthy of my baptism ― that I not be satisfied living like everyone else.

Resolution:I will offer up a decade of a rosary for a family member who is far from the faith.

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